Prahlad - The Child Whose Faith Was Unshakeable (Bhakti Yoga)

Dadi**: Guddu beta, I've told you about Prahlad before, but tonight let's go deeper into what made his faith so special.

Guddu**: He loved Vishnu even though his father hated Vishnu, right?

Dadi**: Yes! But think about how hard that must have been. Hiranyakashipu wasn't just his father - he was the king of the entire world! Everyone, everywhere, had to worship him as God. Temples were destroyed. Prayers were forbidden. The very name of Vishnu was outlawed.

Guddu**: So Prahlad was breaking the law?

Dadi**: In his father's eyes, yes! But Prahlad couldn't help it. From the moment he could speak, he spoke Vishnu's name. It wasn't rebellion - it was simply who he was.

Guddu**: His father must have been so angry!

Dadi**: Furious! He tried everything. First, he sent Prahlad to the best teachers with strict instructions: "Cure this boy of his madness!"

Guddu**: Did the teachers succeed?

Dadi**: They tried! They explained that Vishnu was just a story, that Hiranyakashipu was the real power. Prahlad listened politely... and then converted all the other students to Vishnu worship!

Guddu**: He converted his own teachers' students?!

Dadi**: By the time the teachers returned Prahlad to his father, half the royal school was chanting Vishnu's name! The king was beside himself with rage.

Guddu**: What did he try next?

Dadi**: Threats. He described in terrifying detail what he would do to Prahlad if the boy didn't stop. But Prahlad just smiled.

Guddu**: He smiled?!

Dadi**: He said, "How can I fear you, Father? You are also part of Vishnu. Even your anger is divine play." This made Hiranyakashipu even more furious!

Guddu**: So then came the torture attempts.

Dadi**: Yes - thrown off cliffs, but the earth cushioned his fall. Thrown into the ocean, but the waves carried him safely. Trampled by elephants, but the elephants bowed before him instead.

Guddu**: It's like nothing could hurt him!

Dadi**: "Why won't you die?!" Hiranyakashipu screamed. And Prahlad answered something profound: "Because death is also Vishnu. When it is time for me to die, I will die happily. Until then, I am protected by my love."

Guddu**: Death is also Vishnu?

Dadi**: To Prahlad, Vishnu was everything - life and death, joy and pain, even his angry father. There was nothing outside God. This understanding is what made him unshakeable.

Guddu**: Is that what bhakti yoga means?

Dadi**: Exactly! Prahlad is considered the greatest example of bhakti yoga - the yoga of devotion. He didn't learn complicated scriptures. He didn't do difficult postures. He simply loved God with every fiber of his being.

Guddu**: How did a little boy know to love God so deeply?

Dadi**: The sage Narada had taught Prahlad's mother while Prahlad was still in her womb! The baby absorbed the teachings before he was even born.

Guddu**: So he was born a devotee?

Dadi**: Some souls come into the world already connected to the divine, beta. Their love for God isn't learned - it's remembered from beyond this life.

Guddu**: But most of us have to learn it?

Dadi**: Yes, and that's okay! Prahlad himself taught the nine ways of developing devotion. Anyone can practice them - hearing God's names, singing them, remembering, serving, worshipping, praying, considering yourself God's servant, being God's friend, and finally, surrendering completely.

Guddu**: That's a lot of ways!

Dadi**: You don't have to do all of them at once! Start with what feels natural. Maybe you like singing - that's kirtan. Maybe you like thinking about stories - that's shravanam and smaranam.

Guddu**: I like your stories, Dadi!

Dadi**: Then you're already practicing, beta! Goodnight, my little devotee.

Guddu**: Goodnight, Dadi!